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A draft horse (US) or draught horse (UK), also known as dray horse, carthorse, work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred to be a working animal hauling freight and doing heavy agricultural tasks such as plowing. There are a number of breeds, with varying characteristics, but all share common traits of strength, patience, and a docile ...
The American Drum Horse is a modern American breed of heavy horse of draft type. It is based on, and named for, the drum horse of the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry , which carries the kettle-drummer and large silver kettle-drums, and is usually a Clydesdale or Shire , and often either piebald or skewbald .
The horses have been used throughout history as war horses, both as cavalry mounts and to draw artillery, and are used today mainly for heavy draft and farm work, meat production and competitive driving events. They have also been used to influence or create several other horse breeds throughout Europe and Asia.
In 1982, owners began blood-typing their horses, [1] and by 1990, genetic testing found that "compared with other draft breeds and based upon gene marker data, the Creams form a distinct group within the draft horses." [5] The American Cream Draft was found to have a genetic relationship with the Belgian breed that was no closer than the ones ...
The Pfalz-Ardenner is a relatively young breed, derived from the Ardennais, [3]: 495 as its name suggests.. While the origins of the Ardennais can be traced back to the 17th century, [3]: 495 the German breed is more specifically derived from various crosses between French and Belgian draft horses, undertaken at the beginning of the 20th century [4]: 217 in southwest Germany.
The Polish Coldblood (Polish: Polski koń zimnokrwisty) is a modern Polish breed of draught horse of medium to heavy weight. It was formed in 1964 when the various regional draught breeds or types were merged into a single stud-book.
They are also commonly used to improve other breeds through crossbreeding. Today the breed is used as a draft horse on small farms and to gather seaweed. It is also bred for meat production; [5] horse meat is a dietary staple in many European countries, including France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. [16]
Although some breeds of draft horses have declined in weight in modern times, the Trait du Nord has remained relatively large. [5] The average size in the breed is 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm) for mares and 16.2 to 16.3 hands (66 to 67 inches, 168 to 170 cm) for stallions, weighing 1,800 to 2,000 pounds (800 to 900 kg) for mares and 1,870 to ...